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I've heard about this Korean anime film that will be playing at the Annecy animation festival in June. It looks like its done the rounds at other animation festivals, but will premiere in general in December. The official movie website is even in English! I know Wonderful Days got a lot of hype, so just wondering if anyone has heard of/seen Empress Chung.

From the website, it looks like a beautiful fairy tale, reminiscent of the really early Disney films yet with a look of its own. For once, a Korean film that does not resemble Japanese anime.

Also, this film is apparently a North and South Korean co-production. I wonder how much the North Koreans actually did, considering the lack of creative freedom and extreme isolation and poverty...

I've heard about this Korean anime film that will be playing at the Annecy animation festival in June. It looks like its done the rounds at other animation festivals, but will premiere in general in December. The official movie website is even in English! I know Wonderful Days got a lot of hype, so just wondering if anyone has heard of/seen Empress Chung.

From the website, it looks like a beautiful fairy tale, reminiscent of the really early Disney films yet with a look of its own. For once, a Korean film that does not resemble Japanese anime.

Also, this film is apparently a North and South Korean co-production. I wonder how much the North Koreans actually did, considering the lack of creative freedom and extreme isolation and poverty...

Mulan, true! It also reminds me of Chinese-style of animation. They have more rounded characters, like in the Butterfly Lovers and Chinese Ghost Story.

Yeah I wonder what's up with those animal characters too. Comic releif cutesy mascot attempts? I like the character design for the King of the Underwater World. (Er, but his kingdom doesn't sound all that cool...)

I'm hoping for a DVD release with subtitles, like Wonderful Days and Oseam had. Or who knows, if it turns out to actually be good maybe someone will license it R1.

Hmm, I'd be interested in seeing this. Do you think anyone will fansub it?

In general it seems like Korean animation and comics are largely ignored by the anime community. Everyone assumes that because it's Korean it's inferior. I had to force my friend to watch "Wonderful Days," but afterwards he loved it. I think many of the Korean comics are better than Japanese ones also, but they are also ignored. I've only found one scanlations group that does Korean comics, and their work is somewhat... erm... poor quality =P . I won't mention any names though because I'm grateful to them for doing Korean comics at all.

Well, how do you all feel about this? Do you think it's true that many anime fans are ignoring Korean animation simply because it's not Japanese? There is definitely a tendency towards Japanese elitism amongst anime fans.

In general it seems like Korean animation and comics are largely ignored by the anime community. Everyone assumes that because it's Korean it's inferior. I had to force my friend to watch "Wonderful Days," but afterwards he loved it. I think many of the Korean comics are better than Japanese ones also, but they are also ignored. I've only found one scanlations group that does Korean comics, and their work is somewhat... erm... poor quality =P . I won't mention any names though because I'm grateful to them for doing Korean comics at all.

Well, how do you all feel about this? Do you think it's true that many anime fans are ignoring Korean animation simply because it's not Japanese? There is definitely a tendency towards Japanese elitism amongst anime fans.

Unfortunately, yes. Its partly the case that no one knows about Korean animation because of the language barrier, and partly a closed-mindedness of fans. Many anime fans will only see Japanese animation. They ignore (even insult) American, French, Korean, Chinese, whatever non-Japanese animation because its not "anime".

Korean animation, from what I've seen so far, does partly deserve its "copycat" status however. The first titles available in English were Armageddon and Red Hawk, and they are absolutely horrible. Even in Korea, animation is not really seen as an "adult" medium right now and the only stuff you will find are kiddy shows or independent arthouse animation shorts. There are very few examples of mature Korean animation for an older audience. Blue Seagull was the first "mature" Korean animation feature (and it looks like City Hunter!). Genres that are established in Japanese animation, like shoujo, are all but non-existent in Korea. Even hentai is not that big, though there are a few Korean titles. However, Japanese anime is doing well in Korea, so its only a matter of time till Koreans start making more good stuff.

When My Beautiful Girl Mari is released, the view of Korean animation as lacking storytelling power and maturity should change. Companies like ADV have already recognized Korean animation's up and coming status, and almost all the major manga companies release manwha now. (I also suspect that Korean titles are a lot cheaper than Japanese ones, and that's one of the real reasons its "up and coming".) Add Doggy Poo to the list of Korean animation available in English. Doggy Poo is a claymation feature. Its an incredibly cute story based on a Korean children's book. I recommend it!

Anyway, I don't think its just that fans deride Korean animation. Many just don't know about it. I don't know many manwha titles, but its not that I avoid them I just never hear about them. I bet there are great titles from studios elsewhere in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, but I NEVER hear about them.

I've heard the Koreans do not like their animation to be called anime, but prefer "Korean animation". What's the Korean word for animation?

EDIT- I really doubt anyone will fansub Empress Chung. Anyway, I'd rather buy a Region 3 DVD with subtitles, if it gets good reveiws. Korean DVDs are dirt cheap. Annecy is next week. I hope someone posts reviews!

So Annecy 2004 has come and gone, and Oseam has won Le Cristal for best feature! So glad I bought this Limited Edition. I think the film has its flaws, but was very moving. Another prize for Korean animation.

Last year's winner of Le Cristal was My Life as McDull, an animation from Hong Kong which I've also wanted to see. (My Beautiful Girl Mari won the Grand Prix at Annecy in 2002.)

Hmm, can't find any Empress Chung reviews yet! The suspense is killing me. Do the critics say yay or nay?

I've heard the Koreans do not like their animation to be called anime, but prefer "Korean animation". What's the Korean word for animation?

I believe the Korean word for animation is also 'manhwa', but I don't know for sure. I haven't been brushing up on my Korean these days...

Anyway, as a Korean myself, I think that Korean comics/animation are often misunderstood. Most are endorsed in Korean pop culture, folkery, or just stereotypes in Korean society today. For instance, a spoiled rotten young Korean boy who'd rather eat Spam than kimchi is a huge laughing matter in Korea - In America, we'd just say "Huh?"

I believe the Korean word for animation is also 'manhwa', but I don't know for sure. I haven't been brushing up on my Korean these days...

Anyway, as a Korean myself, I think that Korean comics/animation are often misunderstood. Most are endorsed in Korean pop culture, folkery, or just stereotypes in Korean society today. For instance, a spoiled rotten young Korean boy who'd rather eat Spam than kimchi is a huge laughing matter in Korea - In America, we'd just say "Huh?"

As for Empress Chung reviews; I've failed to find one myself.

"Manhwa" just refers to comics. Koreans just call it "animation" or "manhwa yungah".

I wonder how many that posted here are Korean...
Can someone tell me how the term "manhwa" got coined? I don't think it's right, but it'll have to do.
My mom calls all my anime "manhwa." I believe it is used like the word "anime" in Japanese - as a term used to describe any time of animation.

Every year, I organize a small asian movies festival. And this year, I'm interested in screening a north-south korea movie this year.

I've been curious about an animated movie since a few months but information about it are scarce. It is Empress Chung, a korean animation movie by Nelson Shin. I'm not here to debate if it is "anime" or not, but to see if this movie found it's way among the fansubber community. When you try to find it, even a raw version, it's almost impossible. In an other hand, this movie surely found it's way in a translated version in western countries since it was screen in a few more or less obscure festivals in 2008.